CHICAGO, July 1, 2026 – As the accounting profession works to strengthen its future workforce, the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, the charitable partner of the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS)—one of the largest state certified public accountant (CPA) societies—has awarded a record $161,000 in scholarships to 61 accounting students attending 23 Illinois colleges and universities.
By helping offset tuition costs, the scholarships allow recipients to focus on their education while preparing to meet the growing demand for trusted accounting and finance professionals.
Scholarships were awarded through seven distinct categories that recognize students demonstrating academic achievement, leadership qualities, and financial need:
These scholarships are made possible through the generosity of nearly 1,000 annual donors to the CPA Endowment Fund. Together, their investments help remove financial barriers for students while strengthening the future CPA pipeline. This year, the RubinBrown Charitable Foundation expanded that impact by establishing two new $10,000 tuition scholarships through a generous $20,000 gift.
“Investing in the education of promising accounting students is essential to both the future of our communities and the accounting and finance profession,” says Geoffrey Brown, CAE, ICPAS president and CEO. “These students have shown a clear commitment to pursuing accounting careers and the CPA credential, and we’re proud to support their journey. We’re also deeply grateful to our donors who make these scholarships possible and especially to the RubinBrown Charitable Foundation for its meaningful investment in aspiring CPAs.”
| Illinois CPA Society Accounting Scholarships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | School | ||
| David Arroyo | DePaul University | ||
| Jessie Cardiel | Saint Xavier University | ||
| Drew Chipman | DePaul University | ||
| Devin David | DePaul University | ||
| Joseph Dean | Illinois Wesleyan University | ||
| John Dwyer | Northern Illinois University | ||
| Natalie Engelman | University of Illinois | ||
| Swapna George | DePaul University | ||
| Elizabeth Good | Loyola University | ||
| Gannon Harshman | Millikin University | ||
| Megan Hoffman | University of Illinois Springfield | ||
| Bowen Huang | University of Illinois | ||
| Alex Jimenez | University of Illinois | ||
| Rida Kim | DePaul University | ||
| Anna Lakomiak | Benedictine University | ||
| Olga Makhlay | Loyola University | ||
| Haiden Mast | University of Illinois | ||
| Isabelle O'Day | University of Illinois | ||
| David Podczerwinski | University of Illinois | ||
| Rachelle Pinto | Dominican University | ||
| Owen Pullis | Loyola University | ||
| Fatima Qaiser | Loyola University | ||
| Mathew Salazar | Northern Illinois University | ||
| Anna Sagmeister | University of Illinois | ||
| Madan Shrestha | University of Illinois | ||
| Madeline Stork | Illinois Wesleyan University | ||
| Anna Topor | Lewis University | ||
| Ashley Torres | Rockford University | ||
| Benjamin Torres | Loyola University | ||
| Abigail Zacatzi | Northern Illinois University | ||
| RubinBrown Charitable Foundation Scholarships | |||
| Name | School | ||
| Victoria Lozano | DePaul University | ||
| Dhavni Shah | DePaul University | ||
| Herman J. Neal Accounting Scholarships | |||
| Name | School | ||
| Tyshawn Allison | Northern Illinois University | ||
| Khamiya Langston | Elmhurst University | ||
| Martha Pierre-Louis | Loyola University | ||
| Hussam Sharfi | University of Illinois Chicago | ||
| Ashley Terry | DePaul University | ||
| James A. Sikich Visionary Scholarships | |||
| Name | School | ||
| Jessica Hu | University of Illinois | ||
| Jason Mascarenhas | University of Illinois | ||
| Advancing Women in Accounting Scholarships | |||
| Name | School | ||
| Daniella Berkane | Loyola University | ||
| Esmeralda Corona | University of Illinois | ||
| Mahnoor Fatani | Benedictine University | ||
| Lilliana Gutierrez | University of St. Francis | ||
| Cheryl Jones | DePaul University | ||
| Giselle Naranjo | University of Illinois | ||
| Mikah Ribble | University of Illinois | ||
| Cristina Tejeda | University of Illinois | ||
| Quynh Tran | University of Illinois Chicago | ||
| Community College Scholarships | |||
| Name | School | ||
| Vincenzo Cavazos | Moraine Valley Community College | ||
| Kate-Lynn Hodges | Prairie State College | ||
| Katherine Sell | Illinois Central College | ||
| Caden Shaputis | Rend Lake College | ||
| Guohua Su | Harold Washington College | ||
| Justin Varvara | College of DuPage | ||
| Andrew Weingardt | Oakton College | ||
| Freshman Scholarships | |||
| Name | School | ||
| Caiden Aldrich Cando | Northern Illinois University (Bolingbrook High School) | ||
| Calvin Andrews | University of Illinois (Heyworth Junior-Senior High School) | ||
| Jade Bowen | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Triad High School) | ||
| Akshar Patel | University of Illinois (Saint Charles East High School) | ||
| A'Lyvia Perry | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Molin High School) | ||
| Jonathan Ramirez | Moraine Valley Community College (Argo Community High School) | ||
To learn more about the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois and its programs and scholarships, visit www.icpas.org/annualfund.
